Category: Business Trends

It’s been more than a decade since the real estate market hit its low point, and today it is more active than ever, with many people finding real estate investment projects to be the best way to balance out their portfolios. It’s easy to understand how real estate becomes attractive as an investment, and it has been a core part of many portfolios for years. Today, new opportunities for investors have made the market even more attractive, with many investors at every level finding that they can realize a higher rate of return with a lower risk than through many other investment channels. The forces that created these markets are unique, and they might not last forever, which is why any approach to real estate investment needs to take a balanced view, using both traditional strategies and new paths to build an income.

Short-Term Rental Booms

One of the biggest reasons for the sharp uptick in real estate returns is the increase in short-term rental investments. Not only do short-term and seasonal rentals provide a great part-time income opportunity in areas with strong tourist economies, they are proving more and more important in business as travel for work becomes a norm in more careers. Cheap air fare and accessible public transportation have coupled with a global economy to create an entire class of highly mobile individuals who live large parts of their professional lives in transit, so providing corporate suites and lodging to short-term clients has become a great new way to round out a portfolio. There are a few pitfalls to look out for, however.

• Not all short-term rental platforms are created equally, and not all of them are equally conscientious about local real estate ordinances
• Cities have moved to curb the activities of large operators, especially when they act as an alternative to hotels
• Private corporate offerings do not have the same set of regulations as private lodgings like apartment sharing apps

Make sure you fully understand the investment landscape before engaging with today’s booming short-term market, because the potential for high returns is not a guarantee. Knowing the risks is the best way to avert them.

Home Purchases as Investments

Whether you’re looking for a vacation property, a seasonal home for part of the year, or a full-time house for yourself, investing in property and occupying it is a great way to increase your net worth while enjoying your life. Many successful entrepreneurs take this attitude, cultivating a practice of home buying that seeks out unique architecture and vibrant local communities to provide investor-owners with a beautiful home they can upgrade while they occupy that is also likely to increase in value on its own because of its location. One great example of this is the Chris Sacca home in Manhattan Beach, CA. Mr. Sacca is a regular guest on the show Shark Tank and a successful investor with a net worth of $1.2 billion, demonstrating how this investment strategy continues to serve you as your holdings grow.

Commercial Real Estate Investment

Office space has been in high demand around the country for the past few years as more and more companies incubate to the size where their operations scale up to the global marketplace. While the demand for new offices has receded somewhat in many markets, there are also many where it is going strong into 2019 and likely to stay strong. Even in those areas where new office developments are in lower demand, investing in commercial properties like restaurant spaces and retail complexes can provide opportunities as those businesses provide support for the recently built office buildings’ inhabitants. There’s also a lot to be said for competing against existing office space by providing more energy-efficient buildings with better amenities.

Commercial real estate is a great place to put investment money if you research the local market and find your niche, but it is also diverse enough that an operator who doesn’t really understand what is happening locally can make some pretty costly mistakes. Not every location has the same needs, and the shape of the local industrial and commercial economy will dictate the shape of the commercial real estate market. Still, in a portfolio that looks to manage its risks and opportunities within real estate to ensure real estate is a stable cornerstone for other investments, commercial properties play a key role as high-value resale holdings and strong income earners.

Is It Your Time To Invest in Real Estate?

It takes a mixture of working capital and knowledge to make the commercial real estate market work as an investor, but if you are looking to hold properties for the long-term, it can be a great stabilizing influence for your other investments. The key is to approach it like any investment. Be skeptical of boom hype, look for opportunities that aren’t clogged with other investors, and remember that once a trend hits the mainstream news, it’s probably too late to maximize its potential. If you follow those basic rules, you should be able to find your best opportunities locally.

I’ve always been curious about why people do the things they do. So I did some research into consumer behavior.

1. Marketing Campaigns

Advertisement plays a crucial part in persuading the purchasing decisions made by consumers. They are even known to bring about a great shift in market shares of competitive industries. Regular campaigns can influence the consumer purchasing decision to the point that they may opt for one company or brand over another. Or even indulge in petty shopping. Marketing campaigns help remind consumers to shop for less flashy products such as, say, insurance.

2. Price 

            The price you set for a product has a significant effect on how a consumer behaves. A high price will often send your consumer heading for the lower priced alternative. Alternatively, consumers equate high prices with superior quality products. The best advice would be to research the cost set by competitors. What is best for your brand? Are you looking to sell below or above market price? Take this into careful consideration.

3. Product

Consumers generally buy to meet a need, not the product. It’s really surprising why people really buy things. Sometimes they buy for personal growth and sometimes the buy for power and influence. Ultimately, people want to be popular and to be liked by other people. One of the most shared articles last year was shoppers are buying clothes just for instagram. This shows the great lengths people will go to be adored.  

4. Self Concept and Lifestyle 

Products are expected to have a personality driven by physical appearance, packaging, and price.  The consuming behavior of an individual will be directed to enhancing self-concept through consumption of goods and symbols. Consumers can be defined in terms of the products they purchase or use. Or in terms of what those products mean for them according to M. Joseph Sirgiy.

5. The Cost of Zero

In the book Predictably Irrational, Dan Ariely suggests that most transactions have an upside and a downside. But a free offer gives us a feeling that something is more valuable than it truly is.

“There’s no visible possibility of loss when we choose a free item. “ – Dan Ariely

6. Seeking something new 

            Consumers are no longer loyal to brands like they used to be. There is something called Brand Fatigue. People are so overwhelmed and easily distracted. What that means, for example, is instead of sticking with Starbucks someone may opt for the neighborhood coffee shop. Loyalty is short lived nowadays.           

Consumers try to seek new brands not because these brands are any “better” but rather they want a “change.” They now become loyal to the engagement and experience that a particular brand offers.

 “The consumer has changed dramatically. There’s a shift in consumer behavior and brands need to adjust accordingly.” – brand marketing firm las vegas”

7. Attitudes and beliefs 

Consumers form a certain attitude towards a product. They’ll have a certain feeling and belief towards an object. For example, we’ve formed a belief toward Apple products. They are sleek, fluid, easy-to-use, user-friendly, and smart. This forms a customer to brand relationship.

A consumer will also hold both positive and negative beliefs. “Apple is a great company but ever since iPhone ___ nothing much has changed.”

“You have to start with the customer experience and work your way back to technology” – Steve Jobs

8. Word of Mouth             

Information is passed from individual to individual about products. Word of mouth is extremely powerful. Your brand and reputation are on the line and online through what other people say. Many frustrated customers take to Twitter to display their frustration with a service or product. Flight delays can be frustrating. Jet Blue ensures customer loyalty by responding to frustrated customers.

9. Technology Adoption

Marc Andreessen, the American Entrepreneur, is quoted as saying “technology is eating the world.” From smartphones to social networking apps. Technology has changed the way we interact with our world.

10. Personal Preference

Consumer behavior influences various shades of likes, dislikes, morals and values on a personal level. In certain industries like fashion and personal care, the consumer’s personal view and opinion can become the influencing factor. Nevertheless, advertisement can help in influencing these factors to a point, ultimately the likes and dislikes have more influence on the purchasing decisions.

Summary 

As societies, culture, and technology continue to advance, we’ll begin to see slight changes in consumer behavior.

The new laws that were legislated created by the federal help legalized the industrial hemp production in the States encouraged an increase in public acceptance of the CBD-based products. (The CBD market has yet to reach its potential, experts have estimated that the hemp-CBD market to hit 22billion by 2022.) This has attracted more and more retailers to strike the iron while it is hot, seizing the opportunity to introduce wholesale program like DiamondCBD. With few players in this industry yet, it is perhaps a good chance to be join the market and ride on this wave.

There are nearly 20% of U.S. adults suffering from chronic pain, according to the National Institute of Health. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Institutes of Health concluded that chronic pain problems causes patients’ daily routine to be disrupted and restricting their mobility.  Consumers around the world increasingly look to CBD oils, edibles, and other products to help treat chronic pain conditions and as a potential preventative measure for muscle soreness and inflammation.

CBD is a non-psychoactive, oil-soluble compound extracted from the cannabis plant, and is typically marketed dissolved in plant oil.Most consumers are using cannabis in forms of buds, or oil. The buds segment is also expected to maintain its dominance in the market, however, the oil segment is expected to be the growing at the fastest rate.  Typically, oils are much more potent than flower, meaning they can provide a more effective and faster result. Do checkout CBD Oil Wholesale which allows you to get the most desired oil products at rates that are much lower than what you would expect.

Emerging Hot Products In The CBD Market

Beverages A Hot Deal 

The flexibility of CBD has allowed it to be infused into the many beverages that we consume today. It can take the form of  of sparkling water, coffee, teas, energy drinks – even beer, wine and combined alcoholic beverages. If you want healthier alternatives there are also infusions with KeVita Sparkling Probiotic Drink. Sales are projected to jump from a market estimated at about $12 million in 2018 to more like a $200 million-plus market in 2019. That’s accompanied by an expected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 242 percent through the next four years.

Pamper Your Pet?

Pet products have traditionally not been the main focus of CBD products but with more and more pet owners willing to spend on their pets, more companies are now devoted lines to produce CBD products which can be used by pets. Pet owners are willing to do this because these products more often than not have positive effect on the pet without the effects that drugs does.

The pet CBD products market has an expected CAGR of 195 percent from 2018 to 2022. Surprisingly, that outpaces the general CBD market’s expected CAGR of around 147 percent for the same time period.

About Diamond CBD, Inc.: Diamond CBD focuses on the research, development, and multinational marketing of premium hemp extracts that contain a broad range of cannabinoids and natural hemp derivatives. Diamond CBD’s team consists of hemp industry pioneers and natural product experts, chemists, doctors and scientists, dedicated to producing the finest and purest cannabidiol (CBD) oils. The result is a big range of selection that can be considered among the most powerful natural CBD oils, tinctures, edibles, and vape liquids found anywhere.

Why You Should Join DiamondCBD’s Wholesale Program

Why buy less when you can get more from Buy CBD Wholesale. The program would definitely help you to shave off any unnecessary costs such as shipping fees when you buy big. More shavings of costs would naturally allow you to spend your buck in a wiser manner. There is FREE SHIPPING on wholesale orders over $1000. Moreover, when you join the program, there is a 25% off coupon as a sign-up bonus specially for you. Does the savings stop here? No! There is an additional savings of 10% when you choose from a variety of display packages from for wholesaler. DiamondCBD promises the most competitive pricing in the industry, there wholesale margins are second to none which makes them a great partner for sales.

There are absolutely more reasons than the cost savings that you can get from the wholesale program. You need not fret over the payment method when everything is made easy. They accept a variety of payment methods which includes credit card, money orders, and cheque. (They even accept order sizes which reaches 25k, this is also made payable by a credit card). The easy payment methods will surely make you fret less. Moreover, the shipping is usually done right away the next thing to ensure that you get your good in the fastest duration. They have a great reputation for expediting the process while ensuring customers’ satisfaction. Another area that DiamondCBD has done really well in is to ensure that the packages are clear & easy to understand with clear CBD dosages, QR codes and usage instructions.

Forward thinking companies with interest in the U.S. and global operations (many from Canada where cannabis is completely legal), will likely garner the biggest share from early efforts and positive support for both legalization of hemp, recreational and medical marijuana. Though it’s been around for ages, 2018 was the year that CBD burst onto the health and wellness scene and as consumers shift away from pharmaceutical companies and look for natural remedies, CBD seems to be the drug of the future. We believe CBD is here to stay for the long haul. While it is not a panacea, the growth and acceptance of CBD may help usher in plant and cannabis medicine that offers real promise for patients and therapeutic users.

 

While it’s true that the number of jobs in the United States’ manufacturing sector fell in recent years, manufacturing still plays a crucial role in the country’s workforce, gross domestic product, exports, and other economic factors. In fact, today’s manufacturing companies make more products than they have in decades. Even though the manufacturing sector struggled to add jobs during the economic challenges of the early 2000s, productivity has increased dramatically. This improved productivity makes the United States one of the world’s top manufacturers.

Things may change in the near future. With some luck, the manufacturing sector will benefit the country even more. It’s estimated that manufacturing companies will need 3.5 million more workers over the next decade. That’s especially good news when you consider that manufacturing workers earn higher than average wages, and over 10 percent of them are eligible for health insurance. Besides, the service industry relies on manufactured goods. Without products to sell, the service industry would flounder quickly.

Manufacturing is also important to the economy on a macro level. Every dollar spent on manufacturing adds $1.40 to the country’s economy. Many policy analysts want the United States to invest more in domestic manufacturing, because doing so is one of the most effective ways to build a more robust economy.

If these facts are surprising to you, you can learn more about the role manufacturing plays in the U.S. economy by checking out this infographic. It offers some enlightening data that may change the way you think about the future of manufacturing in the United States.

It doesn’t take predictive technology to get a good picture of where Toronto is heading in its drive to become the Silicon Valley of the North. The trends are in place and specific developments underway that are speeding the region’s transformation. In a decade, maybe less, we’ll be there.

Toronto boasts a robust ecosystem that’s keeping the city and region healthy:  With major educational centers and incubators, improved access to funding and an attractive regulatory environment, there’s a solid base for growth. Indeed, tech jobs in the region have expanded by 14.6 percent since 2012 to 400,000, twice the pace of the rest of Canada. By 2020, some 20,000 more tech jobs are expected to be added, according to a report by Tech Toronto.

It’s now transitioning “from a startup hub to a globally competitive centre of innovation, where companies are born and can scale effectively,” said Toronto Mayor John Tory. “We are the keystone of Canada’s knowledge economy, and have the right ingredients for success, including exceptional talent, access to capital, and support services.”

Some of the barriers that have stymied that transition in the past are being addressed. A major one: The geographic fragmentation of Toronto’s tech ecosystem, which makes it a challenge to get to and from outposts in the region. Said John Ruffolo, CEO of the venture capital wing of the Ontario Municipal Employee Retirement System: “A key ingredient is the physicality of people and ideas colliding with each other serendipitously. The next evolution is to connect the two dots.”

By 2025, that will be addressed when construction is completed of the first phase of the high-speed rail corridor connecting Toronto to the tech outposts of London and Kitchener-Waterloo, and ultimately, Windsor.

The project was announced last month by Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne.

It’s one of several major developments that will positively impact Toronto’s tech community, said Jonmichael Moy, who has worked in both Silicon Valley and Toronto and who now works as a tech executive in the latter city. “This great level of physical connectivity will go a long way toward making the wider tech community more cohesive,” he said.

Another factor influencing Toronto’s evolution today and tomorrow is the migration of top-notch talent. “We are one of the top global tech cities for our welcoming environment,” said Moy, “and the comparative cost of living, our culture and overall livability account for that.

Jonmichael Moy added: “But the U.S. elections and America’s growing insularity are already being felt here. Our inclusiveness and friendlier, merit-based immigration policies are attracting the best and the brightest from every country. It can only enrich and expand our community when all these creative minds are brought together in one place.”

Indeed, applications to the University of Toronto by American students have skyrocketed by 80 percent already this year. But, other minds, besides American ones, are shaping the tech community and its future: By far, the biggest source of immigrants to Canada is China (19,512 in 2015), followed by Iran (11,665; Toronto represents 60 percent of the total Iranian Canadian population) and Pakistan (11,320).

And interestingly enough, Moy noted, Canada is actively trying to lure techie expats like he once was from Silicon Valley back to Toronto. “It’s a group that has acquired skills, expertise and a strong network of contacts in the U.S.,” he said. “It makes perfect sense to attract these executives back to Canada, so they can infuse all that talent in the tech community here.”

Finally, Toronto’s tech economy is evolving toward a more diverse mix of businesses. While the city’s known for having a strong startup community, that belies its attraction to some of the big players, too. Further, having a wealth of small companies attracts the investments that will ultimately support their growth into big businesses.

For an idea of how that might play out in a decade, look no further than the MaRS public/private tech campus near the University of Toronto, where big tech names like Facebook and Paypal rub shoulders with some 200 startups in various stages of development.